Handmade Holidays - review

In December I outlined the list of things I wanted to make for Christmas gifts. I also mentioned how uncooperative my sewing machine was. Oh, and she was. I ended up borrowing my mothers machine to finish, just in time.

I had planned to make pajama bottoms for my two boys and our nephew, robes for my boys, new flannel pillowcases for us all, a dollhouse for our niece and a table runner and cloth napkins for my sister in law (which I tied together Perfect Recipes for Having People Over). I also wanted to make felt food for Colins Kitchen.

Proudly, and surprisingly, I did accomplish most of that, with no help from my cranky sewing machine. I had to give up on the felt food and bought a small package of Melissa & Doug wooden food to get us started, and I didn't have the time or patience or energy to finish the robes, though the pieces are cut.

And not so proudly, and not so surprisingly, I forgot to take pictures of all of the finished items.

I got some snapshots, sort of to share though - and will ask for better pictures of the gifts that were given.

The boys pillowcases and heating pads (an extra project I threw in last minute when I knew I wouldn't get the robes done). The white Target box on top of the kitchen set is what The Husband built, along with some rubberband guns. Pretty sweet kitchen set for 16 dollars huh?

A not very good picture of two of the 3 pajama pants. The one on the left, our nephew - the first pair I made I did all wrong and when I had Colin try them on for an idea on size they just barely fit him, so I had to make a bigger pair. I sent The Husband to get 2 new yards of fabric, which he didn't get on sale, so in the end that pair of pajama pants cost me 50 dollars to get right. Even the kids pants, with on sale fleece were almost 12 dollars a pair. But they were fun and easy to make and the kids LOVED them. I don't have a picture of Evans pants, but I'll be sure to get one.

One of the very few pictures I have of the dollhouse. I really need to see if she can send me some. The Husband also painted 4 little peg people for it and I have no pics of that. I followed this tutorial. The original measurements I thought were too small, so I upped everything by 2 inches, which did give me a little bit of a headache later on, because I must not have cut everything correctly and so things didn't line up exactly right. But overall the project was pretty simple and super cute.


I'll have to see if I can get a picture of the runner I made for my sister in law too, because I really love how it came out. I just did different size strips of 4 different fabrics, the main fabric being the flower border fabric from this wall hanging I made her a couple years ago (which, judging by her pictures from her apt in NYC, she has hanging in her kitchen)

I loved being able to give more handmade gifts this year, and hope to do even more next year. But I think the planning and beginning of projects will start in June instead of November!